San Antonio School system (Howe: renting, house, safe neighborhood)

[Skyelight0.0]

Hello!

My family and I are moving to the San Antonio area in the next couple of months, and I am confused about the school system. We are from northern WI. Here we have either public or private(super expensive, v. exclusive) schools.

I noticed the Independent School District... then theres the Public schools..(this is just what I've gathered from the various forums)
But I am having trouble differentiating between the two.

(renting)
Looking for:
3 bdrm single family home
accepts dogs
two car garage or more
decent school (elementary)
safe neighborhood

(I have no idea what a decent house in SA would cost, or even which neighborhoods to avoid...but our budget is flexible)

I've contacted a couple realtors to find a house, but I'm getting anxious because i haven't heard anything back yet!
If anyone has ideas on how to find such a house, i would greatly appreciate feed back!

[teenwolf80]

The different school districts cover different areas of the city. All the schools in these independent school dustricts are public schools. Maybe you meant private school?

The different ISDs cover different geographical areas of the city. What boundary your house lies within will determine what ISD your in and what schools your eligible to attend.

As for housing cost, 150-175k will get you a damn decent home in a good school district.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

The independent school districts are the public schools, I think "independent" in the names just means that they are not part of a district that covers the entire city. San Antonio is divided up into different school districts. Here's a little map of them, mostly just so you can see the list of different districts. http://www.nisd.net/images/general/maps/bexar-isds.jpg

We have some private schools here, some very expensive, others not as expensive. There are also charter schools that are similiar to a private school (that is, not part of a bigger district) but mostly funded by state funds...parents might pay $100 a year to a charter school, plus the cost of school supplies and uniforms.

There's some debate as to which school districts are better, but generally NISD and NEISD are the recommended ones.

[flourpower]

Be aware that even within a specific ISD, school quality will vary greatly. Having a specific budget in mind will help narrow down your options.

[elmariachi]

I would be weary of the charter schools here in SA, while there are a couple that are very good. Most are not. My wife started her teaching career in a charter school and got out as quickly as she could.

Unlike some other cities, SA has many school districts, not one large one covering the whole area. For the most part, the more affluent the area the better the school, at least here in SA. Some district cover larger areas than others, therefore, the quality of the schools in said district can vary significantly. There are exceptions, Harlandale ISD, located in a working/lower class part of town has a lot of respect among the education community. (I'm aware that it is unfair to generalize more affluent areas with better schools, but unfortunately, that is basically how it is)

So to answer your question, any system in SA the includes the words "School District" is a public school payed for by your tax dollars. Some of these districts have in district charter schools though. But they are still public.

Also, be careful about the population caps of the schools in the area you are likely to move to. Some schools become overcrowded quickly and your children might be bussed to another school. However, someone with more experience should be able to help you better.

Also, if you are of the persuasion, there are some reasonably priced private schools in SA, most of them are religious however. Some provide scholarships and grants on a need basis. There are also very expensive and exclusive private schools in SA (Keystone School comes to mind).

[Skyelight0.0]

Oh awesome! Thanks everyone! You''ve cleared up a lot of my confusion